The Ukrainian Defense Forces launched a counteroffensive on certain sections of the front after Russian occupiers were banned from using Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals.
According to The Telegraph, citing the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting localized attacks to restore communications between positions on the front line between southern Dobropillya and northern Varvarivka. ISW maps show counterattacks near Ternuvaty, Dobropillya, and Zheleznodorozhne, near the border of the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. This was reported by Gazeta.ua, as reported by the portal PromPolitInform.
ISW analysts note that the Ukrainian counteroffensives were made possible by favorable battlefield conditions, partly created by Russia’s loss of Starlink terminals. According to the publication, nearly 90% of Russian units lost communications after Musk shut down the service earlier this month. This decision was a response to the occupiers’ use of Starlink for Shahed drones.
Furthermore, Russian troop communications were complicated by new restrictions on the use of Telegram, a messenger popular among soldiers.
In addition to local counteroffensives, Ukraine has intensified strikes against military targets in Russia. Specifically, Flamingo cruise missiles attacked one of the largest ammunition depots near Volgograd and a missile factory in the Tambov region. According to the publication, Ukrainian forces also destroyed 6,000 drones near Sudzha in the Kursk region, marking one of Moscow’s largest losses.
Russian troops used Starlink internet terminals to turn logistics routes near Pokrovsk into a zone of constant drone attacks.
After Elon Musk blocked the terminals, the intensity of enemy strikes decreased significantly. The use of inexpensive drones combined with satellite communications allowed Russian pilots to attack Ukrainian transport from a safe distance. Over two days, the enemy destroyed at least six Ukrainian Defense Forces trucks on a single road.
